The present invention relates to a fluid coupler for agricultural and industrial applications, and more particularly to a fluid coupler mounted directly to a valve and configured to nest when a plurality of coupler/valve units are arranged in a stacked array.
Fluid couplers are used to facilitate the attachment and nonattachment of various tools and implements to valves that control the operations of such tools and implements. In the agricultural and industrial markets, the fluid couplers typically are of the quick-connect type. Such quick-connect type fluid couplers enable ready coupling and uncoupling of hydraulic plumbing to and from the tools being operated.
In many cases it is not unusual to have two or more valves mounted immediately adjacent to each other in a stacked array. Since several valves are associated with the various operations of the tool or implement the valves are operating. It is known in the prior art that to provide a coupler for each valve the coupler is either integral with the valve thereby forming a single coupler/valve assembly or two or more coupler sizes are provided to facilitate adjacent positionings of such couplers. A third alternative is to mount a coupler remote from the valve to which it is associated and connect the valve and coupler with hydraulic plumbing of suitable lengths. Problems associated with such alternative arrangements include fluid pressure drops between the coupler and the valve in either the remote mounting arrangement or the different coupler size arrangements. Such pressure drops can affect the efficient operation of the tool connected to such couplers. In the specific application of an articulated tractor, the valve is usually mounted in one section of the tractor near the hydraulic pump that supplies the hydraulic fluid pressure but the coupler is mounted in the other section of the tractor near the tool and implement hitch. As a result, there is an input hose and an output hose connecting each valve/coupler combination between the two sections of the articulated tractor. In some instances these can be as many as ten hose pairs that have to be supported and protected. If the valve and the coupler can be mounted on the tractor section near the tool hitch, there would only be one pair of hoses between the pump and valves with a manifold used to distribute the hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic fluid to the respective valves. In the arrangement of an integral valve and coupler the problem is a matter of bulk. The integral body is heavy and large relative to the valve and coupler functions and more material is needed then would otherwise be necessary, which increases the cost of the integral valve/coupler assembly.
Thus there is a need for a fluid coupler that is removably attached to a valve. There is a further need for the fluid coupler and can be mounted to a valve that is arranged with additional valves in a stacked array, either vertically or horizontally with adjacent fluid couplers nested within the perimeters of their associated valves.
The present invention provides a hydraulic coupler. The hydraulic coupler is used for connecting a valve to a tool used with a vehicle having a hydraulic pump and fluid communication with the valve through hydraulic plumbing. The hydraulic coupler comprises a coupler body having a base portion, a neck portion and a connector portion. The coupler body is two connector chambers in the connector portion which are in fluid communication with two apertures, which when the hydraulic coupler is mounted on the valve, are in fluid communication with the valve. A connector assembly, typically of the quick-connect type, is mounted in each connector chamber and is configured to receive hydraulic plumbing to connect the valve to the tool. One embodiment provides that the coupler body is narrower than the valve on which it is mounted. Another embodiment provides before the connector portion to be offset from the neck portion thereby allowing the hydraulic couplers to be mounted immediately adjacent to each other but rotate at a 180xc2x0 in relation to the other hydraulic coupler. Such arrangement forms a nested stack of hydraulic couplers mounted on the work vehicle at convenient locations on the vehicle.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a work vehicle comprising a work structure, a plurality of wheels rotably mounted on the vehicle structure, a power source having an output shaft mounted on the vehicle structure and coupled to a transmission with the transmission operatively coupled to at least two of the wheels, and a hydraulic pump coupled to the power source and in fluid communication with at least one valve through hydraulic plumbing and a hydraulic coupler for connecting the valve to a tool. The hydraulic coupler comprises a coupler body having a base portion, a neck portion and a connector portion. The coupler body is two connector chambers in the connector portion which are in fluid communication with two apertures, which when the hydraulic coupler is mounted on the valve, are in fluid communication with the valve. A connector assembly, typically of the quick-connect type, is mounted in each connector chamber and is configured to receive hydraulic plumbing to connect the valve to the tool. One embodiment provides that the coupler body is narrower than the valve on which it is mounted. Another embodiment provides before the connector portion to be offset from the neck portion thereby allowing the hydraulic couplers to be mounted immediately adjacent to each other but rotate at a 180xc2x0 in relation to the other hydraulic coupler. Such arrangement forms a nested stack of hydraulic couplers mounted on the work vehicle at convenient locations on the vehicle.
A further embodiment of the present invention is a coupler comprising a body having a neck portion and a connector portion with the connector portion having a cavity with a means for engaging hydraulic plumbing mounted in the cavity. A means for mounting the body of the coupler to a valve and a means for fluid communication between the means for engaging and the valve through the neck portion of the coupler. The coupler can be provided with an additional cavity in the connector portion of the body and having a means for engaging hydraulic plumbing mounted in such additional cavity. One feature of the coupler is that the coupler body is narrower than the valve on which it is mounted and another feature is the connector portion is offset from the neck portion. Such features allow an additional coupler mounted to an additional valve immediately adjacent to the other coupler but rotated 180xc2x0 in relation to the other coupler. Further, a plurality of couplers corresponding to a plurality of valves with each coupler mounted adjacent to another coupler and rotated 180xc2x0 in relation to that coupler thereby forming a nested array of couplers can be utilized.